Online drug trafficking in CBD

“CBD News”has recently become aware of illicit substances being sold online, targeting the CBD.

The dealers trade under the aliases of “cleanguy123”, “maple420” and “wickstar24” on classified advertisements website Craigslist.

Two users advertise marijuana and the third is selling crystal methamphetamine, known by its street name ice.

The advertisements are brazen, explicitly stating prices depending on the size of purchase. Two advertisements include photographs of the product.

CBD News was able to gain two of the three dealers phone numbers using a fake email. All contact details were forwarded on to Melbourne East Police.

Sen-Sgt Adam Tanner said: “Police are aware of a number of websites that facilitate the trafficking of illicit goods.”

“Anyone who is engaging in illegal activity on the internet needs to be aware that Victoria Police actively monitor these sites and conduct proactive and covert investigations into online activity. If you are conducting criminal activity within these forums you will be caught and charged.”

The CBD has recently seen a major spike in the amount of needles littering the streets.

In September, City of Melbourne workers collected 440 syringesfrom the streets, a sharp rise on the 150 collected in September last year.

These figures do not include the syringes taken from the 470 disposal bins in public toilets and council-owned facilities around the CBD.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said: “The thing that I’m most concerned about at the moment is that we have a cohort of people who are quasi-homeless, quasi-beggars but on drugs, violent and quite dangerous.”

“It could be that these people are taking heroin or ice but I’d speculate that it is the latter due to the behaviours that we are seeing from this cohort,” he said.

CBD News contacted Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Centre for comment but received no response.